Dreamers Can Now File Their Renewals Online
Recipients of DACA — the program that protects certain young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children and commonly referred to as Dreamers — can now renew their status online.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said Tuesday the move was part of a broader effort to digitize the federal agency’s processes and speed up operations.
During fiscal year 2021, USCIS said it received nearly 440,000 DACA renewal requests. The average processing time for DACA renewals and related work permit requests is 54 days, according to government data.
“The expansion of online filing is a priority for USCIS as we make our operations more efficient and effective for the agency and our stakeholders, applicants, petitioners and requestors,” USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou said in a statement. “The option to file DACA renewal requests online is part of USCIS’ ongoing move to minimize reliance on paper records and further transition to an electronic environment.”
The online filing option is only available to applicants renewing their DACA status, and first-time applicants will still need to send paper applications in the mail. Keep in mind that although USCIS is still accepting first-time requests, a recent court order bars the agency from approving such requests — only renewal applications can be granted at this time.
Immigrants Paid Nearly $331 Billion in Federal Taxes in 2019, $500 Billion Overall
As the 2021 tax season draws to a close for most people on Monday, April 18th, Boundless took a fresh look at the data on the contributions made by immigrants to the U.S. tax system and the economy more broadly.
One of the biggest misconceptions around immigration is that undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes, or abuse government safety nets such as Medicaid and Social Security. Evidence actually suggests that 50 to 75 percent of undocumented immigrant households currently file income tax returns using Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs), and many who do not file income tax returns still have taxes deducted from their paychecks.
Immigrants also pay sales taxes and property taxes —even if they rent— just like everyone else in the United States. This results in undocumented immigrants paying billions of dollars each year in taxes. In fact, several studies have found that undocumented immigrants would earn much more, and therefore pay much more in taxes, if they had temporary or permanent legal status.
In fact, immigrants in the U.S. contributed more than $330.7 billion in federal income taxes in 2019, and over $492 billion dollars in total taxes (including state, municipal, and sales taxes). The Tax Foundation estimates that American and immigrant taxpayers paid $1.6 trillion in individual income taxes in 2019. In this context, it’s important to note that immigrants made up only 13.5% of the U.S. population in 2020, meaning that immigrants make an outsized contribution to the U.S. revenue system.
To learn more about the income, spending power, tax payment, and economic contributions of immigrants to the American economic system, read the full report here!
Nearly 10,000 Ukrainian Refugees Cross U.S.-Mexico Border
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a massive refugee crisis, displacing over 4.4 million people since late February. While many have fled to neighboring European countries like Poland, thousands of Ukrainians have also traveled to Mexico with hopes of immigrating to the U.S.. New Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data shows nearly 10,000 Ukrainians were processed at the U.S.-Mexico border between February 1 and April 6.
Unlike the U.S., Mexico does not have visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens. Many Ukrainians are making the multi-flight journey from Europe to Cancún or Mexico City, then onwards to Tijuana where they are added to makeshift “waiting lists” and placed in temporary housing.
This improvised process for housing and queuing Ukrainian refugees at the border is reflective of a disorganized asylum system and wider U.S. immigration challenges. According to the U.S. State Department, only 12 Ukrainian refugees were resettled in March (a majority of which were already in the pipeline prior to Russia’s invasion). Ukrainians also have limited legal immigration options in the U.S., and those that are eligible to apply for visas face pandemic-induced backlogs and long processing times.
The Biden Administration previously pledged to welcome 100,000 Ukrainians under no specific time frame. As the conflict continues, the U.S.-Mexico border is likely to see even more Ukrainians refugees who have been left with few immigration alternatives.
Some Senators Express Bipartisan Immigration Reform Interest
Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have expressed intentions to bring together a group of senators interested in trying to breathe life back into stalled immigration discussions after the Senate’s April recess.
Presumably with their eyes on the upcoming midterm elections, the two have requested that members from both parties bring forward bipartisan bills for discussion, in the hopes of building a 60-vote consensus on one or more of them. Given that several bills have already been introduced in the House – with some even having passed before dying in the Senate – it seems reasonable to expect Senators to repackage and update some of the previous bills.
Some immigration advocates have offered suggestions for the shape this bipartisan immigration reform could take. Topics up for discussion include a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants, updates to the DACA program, and tackling immigrant labor exploitation.
The Department of State May Visa Bulletin Is Now Live
The U.S. Department of State released the Visa Bulletin for May 2022. In summary, the only countries which saw changes were Mexico and India, with slight decreases in wait times for some family-based and employment-based categories.
If you’re in line for a green card, it’s important to keep track of actual changes (and likely future developments) in the Visa Bulletin. It’s always a good idea to prepare all the documents needed for your green card application ahead of time, so you can be ready to file as quickly as possible once the Visa Bulletin shows that a green card is available to you.
By failing to file in a month when a green card is available, you risk facing a surprise backward movement (“retrogression”) in the next Visa Bulletin, which would close your window of opportunity for filing a green card application. Stay tuned for next month’s update! As always, Boundless will highlight all the important changes for you.